VAN 
V E N 
V. 
VACCA. The female of the ox kind. See 
Cow. 
Vacca MARitNA. See Manatus and Sea- 
Cow. 
VAMPYRE; theVefpertilio Vampyrus of Lin- 
nseus. A fpecies of bar, the La Roufette and La 
Rougette of BufFon, with large canine teeth, four 
cutting ones above, and the fanie nunnber below. 
It has a (harp black nofe ; large naked ears ; and 
a pointed tongue, terminated by fharp aculeated 
papillse. The exterior toe is detached from the 
membrane; the claw is ftrong, and hooked; 
there are five toes on the hind feet ; the talons 
are very crooked, ftrong, and comprefifed fide- 
ways J the membrane is divided behind quite to 
the rump; and there is no tail. The colour va- 
ries, fome being entirely of a reddifli brownj and 
others duflcy. The fize likewife differs much ; 
the extent of the wings, in fome, being four feet; 
in others, five feet four inches; and in fome con- 
fiderably more. 
This animal inhabits Guinea, Madagafcar, 
and moft of the Oriental lOands. It is alfo 
found in New Holland, the Friendlv Iflands, the 
New Hebrides, and New Caledonia. 
Thefe bats, which are gregarious, darken the 
very air with their numbers ; beginning their 
flight from one neighbouring ifiand to another 
immediately after fun-fet, and returning in clouds 
from the commencement of the morning twilight 
till fun-rifing. They lodge in hollow trees dur- 
ing the day; live on fruits; and are fo extremely 
fond of the juice of the palm-tree, that they often 
drink it till quite intoxicated, and then drop to 
the ground. 
The natives of New Caledonia ufe the hair of 
thefe bats in ropes, and in the taflels of their 
clubs; the Indians efteem their flefli excellent 
food; and the French refident in the Ide of 
Bourbon boil them in their bouillon, to give it 
a relifh. They make a fingular kind of noife 
while feeding ; their fmell is rank ; and, when 
oppofed or molefted, their bite is faid to be very- 
dangerous. 
The ancients appear to have had fome know- 
ledge of thefe animals; and BufFon apprehends 
that the poets formed their fidlions of harpies from 
fuch fubjedts. 
Linnasus gives this bat the appellation of Vam- 
pyre from a fuppofition of it's being that fpecies 
Avhich fucks the blood of the human race when 
afleep : but Buffon is of opinion that the Vefper- 
tilio Speftrum of Linnasus is the bat which pof- 
feffes the dangerous quality of fanguifuftion. 
See Bat. 
VANDOSI A. An appellation by which fome 
ichthyologifts have exprelTed the leucifcus, or 
common dace. 
VANELLUS. A name given by feme wri- 
ters to the capella or lapwing. 
VANSIRE. A fpecies of weafel which inha- 
bits Madagafcar. It has fhort ears ; the hair is 
brown at the roots, barred above with black, and 
ferruginous ; and the tail is of the farne colour. 
The length of this animal is from nine to four-* 
teen inches ; and the tail is nearly ten. 
VARI. An appellation by which fome natu- 
ralifts exprefs the lemur carta of Linnreus, a fpe- 
cies of maucauco about the fize of a car, inha- 
biting Madagafcar and the neighbouring ifies. 
The Vari of Bufl-bn is the ruffed maucauco of 
Pennant, the black maucauco of Edwards, and 
the lemur caudatus collari burbato of Linnsus. 
The irides are orange-coloured ; the fides of the 
head are encompaffed with long hair, (landing 
forward like a rufi^ ; the tail is long ; the colour 
is wholly black, though fometimes white fpotted 
with black ; and the feet are black. 
This animal is very fierce in a wild ftate; and 
makes fuch a terrible noife in the woods, that the 
voice of one may be mifcfiken for that of num- 
bers: but, when tamed, which is very praclicabk-, 
it is gentle and docile. 
VARIA. An appellation given by fome au- 
thors to the leopard or pardalis, from the beau- 
tiful variegations of it's hair. 
VEGETAiBLE FLY. An infcft found in the 
ifiand of Dommica; ref^mbling the drone in f 
and colour, but diirfcring from it in that it has no 
wings. 
This infeft buries itfelf in the earth in the 
month of May, and begins to vegetate. By the 
latter end of July, the tree is arrived at it's full 
growth ; and refembles a coral branch, being 
about three inches high, and bearing fevcral little 
pods, which dropping off, become worms, ami 
afterwards flies, like the Englifli caterpillars. 
Such is the opinion of the credulous natives: 
and even in the Philofophical Tranfadions, 
Vol. Liv. p. 270, this fingular vegetable infecl is 
figured and defcribed. But the judicious Dr. 
Hill obferves, that the cicada is common in 
Martinico ; and that in it's nymph ftate, in v^'hich 
ancient authors call.it tettigometra, it buries it- 
felf under dead leaves, and there waits it's change; 
but when the feafon is unfavourable, many pe- 
rifh : and that the feeds of the clavaria fobolifera, 
a fungus producing foboles or (hoots from it's 
fides, and ufually growing from the bodies of 
putrid animals, finds here a proper bed to ve<^e- 
tate. This the do(5lor aflerts as a fid. 
VELLIA. An appellation whereby many 
authors exprefs the lanius minor, or lanius tertius 
of Aldrovandus ; called the flufher in Enojand 
VELVET DUCK. See Duck. 
VELVET RUNNER. A bird defcribed by 
Brooke. The whole body is finely coloured with 
black and red, except the belly, which is v.'hitc; 
and the black has a very glofTy appearance. The 
legs are pretty long and of a duflcy colour. It 
appears to be nn obfcure fpecies. 
VENEREA CONCHA. A very large, and 
elegant genus of fiiells, more ufually denominat- 
ed porcellanas. See Porcelain Shell. 
Venus, in the Llnnx^m fyfte.r, agenusof 
the tePcacea order of v.orms. |t'i ciisracters are 
